Sunday, May 11, 2008

Outdoor Furniture Envy

I love the combination of grass and square stepping stonesThe furniture is nice too from Design Within Reach

A little bird told me I have yard envyWe picked this catalog up on our daily walk at our local DWR store

This little vignette is adorable,Yikes! Bubble chairs are $680. each from DWR

The chairs are so nice and so comfy, I'd use them indoors

DWR sells the 117 sf pre fab little outdoor house tooStarting at $29K - This one is $44K

A page from my book on Chair Obsession from DWR

Okay, okay, so I've been ranting about outdoor living rooms.Really I am envious that some people can afford to hire a landscape designer, and pay someone to do the dirty, hard work.Our city lot, is a 50 X 100 double lot. We are very lucky to have this kind of "land" right in the middle of the city. Part of it is given over to a driveway. We have a garage that we only use as a workshop and for storage, and a shed that I use for my decor junk. There are two cracked back patios, and a narrow side yard (breezeway) with a broken brick path. In front of the garage is a dirt patch with weeds that pass for green space. A hot mess of potted plants are scattered around in groupings. I have a couple of dark green plastic Adirondack style chairs, and a supermarket glass table and chairs. I had a fountain, but the motor burned out. The driveway has the vestiges of gravel and shells, with alot of weeds growing there too. The front of the house fares a little better, with planting beds and a huge oak tree, and the original antique iron fence.Since we don't ever open the garage doors, we are thinking of doing something with the weed patch in front of them. Sometimes we just want to pave paradise and put up a parking lot. Sometimes we want to build a porch on the side of the house that would extend well into the weed patch yard space. We do think about re-sale issues, in case someone actually wanted to use the garage for cars!The truth is we don't have the money to hire anybody to do anything. We are just getting fencing up in the back and in the breezeway, after a major storm tore it down. We just got some siding back on the house, and there are some serious brick issues to deal with, as in the wind took some off our chimneys.I would like to something affordable, like maybe roto-till the weed patch and lay down some sod and big square stepping stones. I would like to at least stain the existing cracked concrete patios, and maybe put up one of those pre-fab nice screen house gazebo thingees you see at Sam's.It's also getting hot as hell already, and we are not fit enough to spend hours outside digging and hauling.So, in order to deal with all this, I rant a little and poke fun at the hideous big box store living room sets. The truth is, I wouldn't mind having one, AND a nice place to put it.All furniture shown from the store Design Within (Someone's, But Not My) Reach HERE

Visual Vamp featured at Hill Country House

Visual Vamp in June 2011 CUE Magazine

Visual Vamp featured in The Times Picayune

Mod Vintage Life Book Club

Join in and read the book Undecorate! Thanks for the mention - Click on image

Gotta Tango

Buy this book! Mama needs a new pair of size 7's, and Cholo needs a bisquit...

Valorie Hart Is The Visual Vamp

CONTACT ME if you need help with a project. I am a STYLIST for photo shoots, shop displays, home decor, events - HAVE STYLE WILL TRAVEL. I am a lifestyle WRITER, and image EDITOR. I have RADIO and TV experience. I have done set DECORATING and SCOUTING. Of course I have COMPUTER SKILLS. On line projects are welcome. This BLOG is my calling card and PORTFOLIO. Photo by Chris Golson at http://www.chrisgolson.com/

Visual Vamp in Save Domino

Hazelnut

Bryan Batt, Tom Cianfichi , and Peggy who own Hazelnut - click here for Bryan's site

This beautiful store was named after Bryan's grandmother Hazel Nuss - tell them The Vamp sent you

Shop with Brooke and Steve

So nice, and so much talent! Click on image to buy something beautiful!

Maria McBride Events - click on image

If you want a true expert and artist to plan, design, and decorate, or consult with your local vendors, for your wedding or any special event or branding and marketing needs, contact Maria, who has talent and will travel